The present disclosure relates to online education. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to collaborative, social online education and whiteboard techniques implemented via computer networks.
Online education is increasing in popularity and user participation. The strength and appeal of online education is that users do not have to be in the same location, either physically or academically, in order to collaborate and learn. However, this strength is undermined by existing limitations in online learning platforms.
Despite advances in online education techniques, it remains problematic to engage in discussions and/or collaborations focused on non-textual material in online discussion forums, chat rooms, discussion walls, etc. For example, currently, there are no easy or convenient ways for users to discuss math and science topics in the traditional online chat room environments. Similarly, there are no easy or convenient ways for users to illustrate mathematical and scientific concepts, which include but are not limited to writing complex equations, drawing graphs, drawing molecular structures, etc. There is also no easy, user-intuitive method of capturing a problem or image in a textbook and sharing and discussing the problem or image on the online discussion forum. There are also issues with users attempting to type symbols or describe images that do not adequately communicate the scenario, leading to problematic learning situations. Additionally, copying and/or reproduction errors may be introduced when users attempt to type out a problem. Such issues are detrimental to the online learning experience, particularly in situations involving concepts that need to be illustrated in order to be understood and/or discussed.